"Don't think the Jinwu Li Clan is inactive now, and don't imagine they've been scared off. Scaring four Taibai Golden Immortals to death is nothing to the Jinwu Li Clan. The reason they haven't made a move yet is simply because the grand event hosted by the Fengyue Small World is about to begin, and the Jinwu Li Clan doesn't want to make too big a fuss. That's all."
"Once the event concludes, the Jinwu Li Clan will definitely tear that upstart to pieces. If you don't sever ties with him by then, you'll inevitably suffer deeply. Not just you, but even your Xiaoluo Secret Realm won't be spared—it will face utter destruction."
Xuan Yun spoke incessantly, his words carrying absolute conviction as he continued.
"I'm asking you to leave that upstart. The Jinwu Li Clan is one reason, but not the most important one."
"I don't know if you heard how others were discussing that upstart when you arrived. If not, I can tell you: many now suspect he's been possessed by a Demon Spirit."
Qianling shook her head in explanation. "He has human aura and life force. It's simply impossible for him to be possessed by a Demon Spirit."
"I admit, he does indeed have human aura. At first, I didn't believe he was possessed by a Demon Spirit either. But the more I thought about it afterward, the more something felt off. You've probed his physical body too; you should understand its condition better than I do. A physical body like his—with internal organs, meridians, acupoints all as if rusted, even his bloodlines dried up—by all logic, such a person should have long lost all life force. Yet he's still alive. Don't you find that strange?"
"But that doesn't prove he's been possessed by a Demon Spirit."
"Ling'er, don't jump to conclusions just yet. I remember you mentioning you found him in the Liusha Small Secret Realm, right? I've been to the Liusha Small Secret Realm. Its natural environment is extremely harsh. Such places are most prone to nurturing Demon Spirits."
Hearing this, Qianling's heart couldn't help but lurch.
"Think about it all together: finding him in a place like the Liusha Small Secret Realm that easily nurtures Demon Spirits, his physical body in such chaotic disarray yet he's still alive, and those unorthodox methods he employed on the Floating Sky Island... Don't you feel all these things point to him being possessed by a Demon Spirit?"
Noticing a slight change in Qianling's expression, Xuan Yun knew his efforts weren't in vain—Qianling was beginning to harbor doubts as well.
And indeed, that was the case.
Qianling was indeed starting to doubt.
Just as Xuan Yun said, the Liusha Small Secret Realm's natural environment was extremely harsh; such places were most prone to nurturing Demon Spirits. Then there was Little Drunkard's chaotic physical body. Under normal circumstances, such a body simply couldn't be alive. Yet he was alive—not just alive, but living well. And those methods he displayed on the Floating Sky Island.
The more she thought, the more suspicious it seemed. But upon second thought, Qianling felt it didn't quite fit.
If Little Drunkard were truly a Demon Spirit... yet he had recuperated in the Xiaoluo Secret Realm for decades, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and basking in the sun every day. He had never harmed a single person. Not only had he not harmed anyone, he had even secretly guided her cultivation of the Tianxuan Myriad Swords Art.
Was there such a kind-hearted Demon Spirit in the world?
Qianling shook her head. "I don't believe Little Drunkard is a Demon Spirit. He has never harmed anyone in our Xiaoluo Secret Realm."
"Hehe, Ling'er, you're truly too naive. Just because he hasn't harmed anyone yet doesn't mean he won't in the future. If I guess correctly, you certainly didn't know he possessed these unorthodox methods before, did you?"
Qianling nodded. Before this, she truly hadn't known Gu Qingfeng understood such bizarre methods.
"See, I knew you didn't know."
Xuan Yun smiled. "Also, think about it yourself. On the Floating Sky Island, he merely uttered a casual sentence, and Li Zhengshi's Immortal Spirit scattered. Then, with just the might of a shout, he scared four Taibai Golden Immortals to death. After killing people, that upstart didn't even blush or pant. Afterward, he acted as if nothing had happened, still laughing and joking. Probably only a Demon Spirit would be so maniacally contemptuous of life, right?"
Qianling thought for a moment. She wanted to speak up in Gu Qingfeng's defense, but the words caught in her throat. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't deny Xuan Yun spoke the truth. After Gu Qingfeng scared the four Taibai Golden Immortals to death, he indeed acted as if nothing had happened—truly like crushing an ant, showing no reverence for life.
"Ling'er, you must think this through clearly. If he truly is a Demon Spirit, you must leave him as soon as possible to avoid falling victim to his schemes."
Qianling said, "If he wanted to harm us, he would have done so long ago. He wouldn't wait until now."
"Even if he doesn't harm you, he'll implicate you. You must understand, the Great Wasteland is the Great Wasteland of the Immortal Dao. The Fengyue Small World is also a world ruled by the Immortal Dao. They absolutely will not tolerate the existence of a Demon Spirit. Once he's discovered to be a Demon Spirit, he will be eradicated. If you still have any connection with him by then, you will inevitably suffer deeply."
He paused briefly, not waiting for Qianling to speak before continuing. "Taking a step back, even if he isn't a Demon Spirit, if the Jinwu Li Clan insists he is one, then whether he's truly a Demon Spirit or not becomes irrelevant. The Jinwu Li Clan is not only capable of such acts, but this wouldn't be their first time. Don't forget, many of the Fengyue Small World's influential figures have close personal ties with the Jinwu Li Clan."
Hearing this, Qianling couldn't help but sink into deep thought.
Seeing her like this, the corners of Xuan Yun's mouth finally curved into a long-awaited, confident smile. "I don't want to say anything more. Consider it carefully yourself. We're at the Blue Charm Garden. If you come to understand, you can come find me anytime. I'll be waiting for you."
With that, Xuan Yun led Little Liuli away at a leisurely pace.
Only Qianling remained standing there, her brows furrowed, deeply troubled.
To be honest.
She didn't believe Gu Qingfeng was a Demon Spirit.
She had never even considered such a possibility.
But the harsh environment of the Liusha Small Secret Realm, Gu Qingfeng's bizarre physical body, and those mysterious methods he employed on the Floating Sky Island—these things forced Qianling's thoughts to run wild.
Because she knew that if Gu Qingfeng truly were a Demon Spirit, not only would he not survive, but no one in the Xiaoluo Secret Realm would live either. The Great Wasteland was the Great Wasteland of the Immortal Dao. The Fengyue Small World was a world ruled by the Immortal Dao. They absolutely would not permit the existence of a Demon Spirit. In her mind, if Gu Qingfeng were truly a Demon Spirit, not only the Jinwu Li Clan, not just the Fengyue Small World, but even the Immortals of the Dual-Pole Celestial Domain would not let the matter rest. And their Xiaoluo Secret Realm would be razed to the ground for colluding with a Demon Spirit.
More importantly, even if Gu Qingfeng weren't a Demon Spirit, the situation wasn't optimistic.
Just as Xuan Yun said, if the Jinwu Li Clan insisted Gu Qingfeng was a Demon Spirit, then whether he truly was one or not would become irrelevant. Such acts of slandering others as Demon Spirits were not beyond the Jinwu Li Clan. In the past, a prominent family in the Fengyue Small World was merely suspected of being a Demon Spirit, and it was jointly eradicated by various secret realms and Immortal families.